Many of my clients don’t have the money to do a large marketing campaign. So they simply do nothing and hope, or they rob Peter to pay Paul in order to do a radio, TV, or newspaper ad. They often forego paying their payroll taxes or vendors, hoping that their advertising will bring in enough money to catch up on the bills later. This is definitely a recipe for disaster!
The Three-Step Direct Mail Marketing Campaign
I always recommend that they implement a three-step direct mail marketing campaign. The three-step plan is designed to get prospects to raise their hands and identify themselves as being interested in learning more about your company. This allows us to send them additional sales material or make personal sales calls. It is a much better use of your time to meet with people who have already expressed an interest in meeting with you rather than making cold calls.
A normal three-step plan could look like this:
- A direct mail piece is sent out offering a free e-book, PDF report, or video in an area that interests your prospects in return for their email address.
- An auto-responder that pushes for an appointment or invites them to our business. This often takes the form of a discount on an entry-level product. Another auto-responder also should invite them to a personal consultation where we explore ways to eliminate their problems. “Give and you shall receive” should be your motto!
- Their names are added to our ongoing email and newsletter lists. They may not be ready to buy now, but we want them to remember us, and only us, when they are ready.
At this point I am usually asked, “But why direct mail?” Direct mail:
- allows for very targeted marketing
- can fit any budget
- is scalable
- provides instant feedback
- produces results you can track
- allows for testing of different variables to improve results
- can be tested with a small sample before rolling out a full campaign
With all of these advantages, there is really no reason not to include direct mail in every marketing plan. In fact if one is good, three direct mail campaigns may be better! Some quick recommendations:
- Targeting your most likely customers. This can be by industry type or geographical area.
- A special mailing to your dream 100 prospects. Those prospects that you would love to have as customers should be the target of a concentrated campaign.
- A monthly mailing with VIP customer specials to your current customers.